事 shì — matter; thing; item; work; affair
我有一件事想问你。Wǒ yǒu yí jiàn shì xiǎng wèn nǐ.I have something to ask you.
Common words: 没事儿 (méi shì r)、事情 (shì qing)、故事 (gù shì)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "item"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "item", including 事 (shì), 条 (tiáo), 目 (mù), 件 (jiàn), 项 (xiàng), 端 (duān). Study pinyin, English meanings…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "item" covers 7 different Chinese characters — 事 (shì), 条 (tiáo), 目 (mù), 件 (jiàn), 项 (xiàng), 端 (duān), 桩 (zhuāng) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 7 characters do not share a sound — their readings span shì, tiáo, mù, jiàn, xiàng, duān, and more — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 事 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 事 shìmatter; thing; item; work; affairUseful words: 没事儿, 事情
- 条 tiáomeasure word for long; thin things (i.e. ribbon; river; etc.); a strip; itemUseful words: 面条儿, 条件
- 目 mùeye; item; section; list; catalogue; table of contentsUseful words: 节目, 目的
- 件 jiàna measure word for thing; clothes; itemUseful words: 条件, 事件
- 项 xiàng(surname); back of neck; item; thingUseful words: 项目, 项链
Common words for these 7 "item" characters
Anchor each of these 7 characters in a word you can picture — start with 事 (shì) — so "item" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
没事儿méi shì rto have spare time; free from work; it's not important; it's nothing事情shì qingaffair; matter; thing; business故事gù shìold practice面条儿miàn tiáo rcolloquial (-r) form of 面条条件tiáo jiàncondition; circumstance; term; factor面条miàn tiáonoodles节目jié mù(TV or radio) program; show; item; act目的mù dìpurpose; aim; goal; target目前mù qiánat the present time; currently条件tiáo jiàncondition; circumstance; term; factor
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 7 ways to say "item".
条 tiáo — measure word for long; thin things (i.e. ribbon; river; etc.); a strip; item
我家有一条小狗。Wǒ jiā yǒu yì tiáo xiǎo gǒu.My family has a little dog.
Common words: 面条儿 (miàn tiáo r)、条件 (tiáo jiàn)、面条 (miàn tiáo)
目 mù — eye; item; section; list; catalogue; table of contents
这个目标不难实现。Zhè ge mù biāo bù nán shí xiàn.This goal is not hard to achieve.
Common words: 节目 (jié mù)、目的 (mù dì)、目前 (mù qián)
件 jiàn — a measure word for thing; clothes; item
我有一件重要的事告诉你。Wǒ yǒu yí jiàn zhòng yào de shì gào su nǐ.I have an important thing to tell you.
Common words: 条件 (tiáo jiàn)、事件 (shì jiàn)、文件 (wén jiàn)
项 xiàng — (surname); back of neck; item; thing
这项工作还没有完成。Zhè xiàng gōng zuò hái méi yǒu wán chéng.This task is not yet finished.
Common words: 项目 (xiàng mù)、项链 (xiàng liàn)、事项 (shì xiàng)
端 duān — end; extremity; item; port; to hold sth. level with both hands; to carry
妈妈端来了一碗热汤。Mā ma duān lái le yì wǎn rè tāng.Mom brought over a bowl of hot soup.
Common words: 极端 (jí duān)、争端 (zhēng duān)、尖端 (jiān duān)
桩 zhuāng — item; stump; stake; pile
工人们在河里打下了一根根木桩。Gōng rén men zài hé lǐ dǎ xià le yì gēn gēn mù zhuāng.The workers drove wooden piles into the river.
Common words: 打桩 (dǎ zhuāng)、基桩 (jī zhuāng)、界桩 (jiè zhuāng)
All 7 characters
Open 事、条、目 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.